268 TOYAGE IN SEAKCH 



A large tree, drifted on the breakers, was at firft 

 taken by fome of us for part of the wreck of a 

 fhip ; but the branches and the roots, which we 

 diftinc'tly perceived, left no doubt of its being a 

 tree, detached from the coafr. 



The Admiral fent an officer on board of the 

 Efperance, in order to concert with her Captain, 

 refpecYing the refearches which it was incumbent 

 on us to make at the Admiralty Iflands, in con- 

 fequence of the information that had been trans- 

 mitted to us at the Cape of Good Hope. 



Night came on ; we fpent it in making fhort 

 boards, in order to hold our own againft the 

 currents. 



The next morning, the 29th, Captain Iluort 

 waited on the Admiral. It was decided that we 

 fhould go and vilit the ifland that was in fight, 

 to the caft north-eafl of that which we had juft 

 coafied. In fact, according to one of the depo- 

 sitions which had been tranfmittcd to the com- 

 mander of the expedition, it was at the eaftcrn- 

 mofl ifland that the favages clothed in the 

 uniform of the French navy had been lecn. 

 About the middle of the day we were at the dif- 

 tance of a myrinmetcr from this ifland, when we 

 faw fome natives advancing towards the fea- 

 fliore. A few huts were diftinguifhable through 

 the cocoa nut trees. Other iflanders prefently 

 made their appearance on the fouth-eaft point; 



and 





